Russian opposition politician Lev Shlosberg, 63, has been sentenced to 11 years and one month in a penal colony after being convicted of discrediting the Russian armed forces and spreading what authorities described as false information about the military.
Shlosberg, a senior member of the liberal Yabloko party, rejected the charges and said the case was designed to punish him for his political and civic views. The party said it would appeal the verdict.
The court ruling came shortly after Russia’s Supreme Court rejected Yabloko’s appeal against its exclusion from the September parliamentary elections. Yabloko was the only registered political party to openly oppose Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
During his closing statement, Shlosberg called for a ceasefire and political dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. He also described his trial as an attempt to achieve an illegal political objective.
The case highlights the continued crackdown on political dissent in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Wartime censorship laws have made public criticism of the government and military increasingly risky, with offenders facing heavy fines or lengthy prison sentences.
Yabloko was recently removed from the election ballot after authorities accused it of supporting what Russia calls the “international LGBT movement,” which the Russian Supreme Court has designated as extremist. The party denies the accusations.
With Yabloko excluded, all other parties participating in the 18–20 September election support the war in Ukraine. Although support for President Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party has reportedly declined, the Kremlin is still widely expected to maintain significant control over the electoral process.
